Punch press for notching



Aug. 4, 1953 Filed Aug. 22, 1950 o. V..DUTRO ETAL:

PUNCH PRESS FOR NOTCHING 6 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORE div/[Li v, 01/7'20 Aug. 4, 1953 o. v. DUTRO ET AL PUNCH PRESS FOR NOTCHING 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 22, 1950 INVENTOR! dIV/[Ai M00770 JAM/i! F. NAM/i7 Aug. 4, 1953 o. v. DUTRO ET AL PUNCH PRESS FOR NOTCHING 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 22, 1950 INVENTORJ OIV/M! n puma By JAMiZf A MMIM 1953 o. v. DUTRO ET AL 2,647,579

' PUNCH PRESS FOR NOTCHING Filed Aug. 22, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Aug. 4, 1953 UNITED STATE PTENT OFFICE PUNCH PRESS FOR NOTCHING Application August 22, 1950, Serial No. 180,833

10 Claims.

This invention relates to a punch press for notching or slotting marginally perforated record cards and the like. More particularly it relates to a press adapted to receive a continuous, printed web having record cards such as the well-known Keysort cards inprinted thereon and to notch or slot each card to code it with a serial number or other desired information.

In record and statistical cards such as the well-known Keysort cards, each card is provided with perforations along one or more of its edges. These perforations are divided into fields corresponding to units, tens, hundreds, etc, and they may be arranged in a single row or in a double row. By appropriately notching and/or slotting the perforations the cards are coded and may thereafter be classified and sorted on accounting machines in accordance with the information coded therein by the notching and slotting.

It is advantageous in many instances to provide a batch or lot of cards, each of which has imprinted thereon a serial number and is also notched and/or slotted to correspond to the printed number. Thus, in filling an order for, say 50,000 cards, it may be desirable to number these cards serially from 0 to 49,999 and to accomplish this numbering by both printing and notching.

In the copending application of Orville V. Dutro, Lyle V. Dutro and James F. Nameth, assigned to an assignee, which is the same as in the instant case and entitled Press, Serial No. 180,832, filed August 22, 1950, there is described a machine capable of accomplishing a plurality notches and/or slots the cards to code each card with its printed serial number, and slits and trims and cross-cuts the web to produce individual cards of precise dimensions each having marginal perforations and each printed and notched and/or slotted with an individual, identifying serial number.

The present invention is directed to that portion of the machine of said copending application which accomplishes the serial notching; p

and/or slotting, and it has for one of its objects the provision of a punching assembly capable of performing the aforesaid notching and/or slotting function on a halted web in timed relationship to other units of the complete machine.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a punch press capable of operation in the manner and for the purpose above described and also having general utility for selective punching operations, the said punch press being capable of automatically notching and/or slotting a halted web to code useful information therein.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a punch press of the general character described which is capable of notching and/or slotting a continuous web as it is halted in the press to notch and/or slot information, in a code, therein so as to produce, as the end product, cards or the like which, when severed from the web, constitute a lot or batch each having some unique information coded therein, such as an individual, identifying serial number.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a punch press of the general character described having an automatically operable portion capable of notching and/or slotting cards individually and uniquely through a predetermined range, and which also has another portion which can be set or controlled manually to extend greatly the range of automatic coding.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description and the appended claims.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a view showing the side plates of the punch press in vertical section and the operating elements in end elevation and looking toward the oncoming web as it leaves the punch press.

Figure 2 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of the punch press, the View being taken transversely to the longitudinal center line of the machine.

Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a partial View in end elevation 01 the punch press showing several notching punches in operative position.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary View taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 3, being a top plan View of the stripper plate.

Figure 6 is a section taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 2, showing a single row of notchin punches.

Figure 7 is a section taken along the line ?'i of Figure 2, showing several of the manually operated notching punches and the hand set means employed to operate them.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view similar to that of Figure 7 but on a larger scale, showing certain details of the hand set means.

Figure 9 is a section taken along the line 9-9 of Figure 8, showing a row of hand set levers in end elevation.

Figure 10 is a section taken along the line 19-4 6 of Figure 8.

Figure 11 is an end view of the automatic slide positioning mechanism employed to operate the automatic notching punches.

Figure 12 is a view similar to that of Figure 11 but taken from the opposite end of the slide positioning mechanism.

Figure 13 is a section taken along the line i3i 3 of Figure 11.

Figure 14 is an exploded view of the cams and ratchets of the automatic slide positioning mechanism.

Figure 15 is a fragmentary view of a card notched by means of the notching assembly.

Figure 16 is a fragmentary view of the web as supplied to the notchin'g assembly.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularlyto Figure 1, the machine as a whole is designated as l0 and it comprises a frame ii including side plates 52a and 621). A drive shaft I3 is provided, being journalled in the side plates I2a and lib and having a bevel gear Hi fixed to one end to be driven by a mating bevel gear and drive shaft (not shown). For examplathe punch press drive shaft may be driven by 'or'from a printing press (not shown) for printing the web which is fed to the punch press iii. A pinion I 5 fixed to the drive shaft i3 drives a gear Iii fixed to one end of a crankshaft ll journalled in the side plates in and I222. The crankshaft H is connected by crank means 18, adjustable rods 59 and rams 26 to a female die assembly 2%}, which is guided for vertical reciprocal movement by guide members 26 fixed to the frame of the machine and mating guide members 2? fixed to the rains 20. I-beams 2B; fixed to the frame of the machine and bearings 29 provide additional support for the crankshaft H, which is subject to rapid impacts of great force. Counterweights 39 are also provided, as illustrated.

The reciprocable female die assembly cooperates with a stationary male die assembly 3! to punch and thereby notch a Web 32 which is seen leaving the punch press in Figure 1. This web as supplied to the punch press of the present invention is shown in Figure 16'. As there shown it is printed with any desired number of rows of cards 33 each having longitudina1 and transverse lines 3% along one or more edges to provide fields 35. Each field 35 is printed with code numbers l, 2, i and 7 and is punched to provide a perforation in registry with each code number. An individual, identifying serial number is printed on each card, transversely at 31 and longitudinally at 38. A triangular die cut is formed at St to form a beveled corner on the finished card. Of course, other useful'information, guide lines, etc. may be printed on the cards. and the marginal perforations 36 may be arranged along more than one edge and may be arranged in inner and outer rows instead of a single row.

As is well known, the extreme right-hand field 35 corresponds to units, the next field proceeding to the left to tens, the next to hundreds, etc. As is also known, and as illustrated in Figure 15, the numerals 1, 2, 4 and 7 are indicated by forming notches 56 at the correspondingly numbered perforation 3%, zero is indicated by no notch and other numbers are indicated by appropriate combinations of the basic numbers; e. g., 7 and 2 notched in the units field indicates 9 and, in the tens field, indicates 90.

-It is intended that the punch press it notch the cards 33 on the web 32, to code each card with an individual, identifying serial number cor responding to the printed serial numbers 3?, 33.

The female die assembly 25 and the male die assembly 35 are shown in cross section and transversely to the longitudinal center line of the machine in Figure 3 and the male die assembly is shown in top plan view 2. Referring now to these figures, the female die assem ly 25 comprises a die block or base formed with a plurality of recesses 91 within which die inserts 92 are disposed. Each die insert 92 is formed with an accurately machined die opening 93 which widens out at its lower end, as illustrated, and opens into a stepped, progressively widening opening 9 3 formed in the die block 90, for the purpose of allowing cuttings punched from the web to drop freely from the die assembly. Each die opening 93 is precisely and accurately registered with a punch 95 by means of a packing 95a. As illustrated in Figure 3 there are five rows of die openings 93 and a corresponding number of rows of punches 95 arranged transversely of the machine, thus providing means for notching a web having five rows of cards. Also, there are as many die openings 93 and punches 2:5 in each row, as there are perforations 36 in a card i. e., there are a punch and die opening for each perforation. Obviously, of course, the number of die openings 93 and punches 95 may be greater or ess according to the nature or the web and of the cards printed thereon.

The male die assembly Si comprises a male die block or punch carrier 95 which is spaced a slight distance above the female die block SB when the latter is in its up or closed position, by means of spacers 97 fixed to the female die block 90. Also the male die block 96 is formed with recesses 93 corresponding in number and position to the recesses 9| in the female die block, and in each of the recesses 98 there is seated an insert 59 which is accurately positioned by means of a packing I03. Each insert 93 is formed with a passage I95 to slidably receive a punch Referring now more particularly to Figure 6, the male die block or punch carrier 98 is formed with shoulders me which are received within a recess [0T formed in a guide block ifiii which is fixed to a top plate me by means of screws H0 and is accurately located by means of dowel pins H I. The top plate its is fixed to the frame of the machine. The recess H31 provides shoulder I I2 and I i3 which serve to limit the travel of the punch'carrier 96, and thelatter is urged downwardly by means of expansion springs i M which are seated in recesses H5 formed in the guide block IE8 and which bear at their lower ends against the punch carrier as. Disposed above the punch carrier 96 is a stripper plate S25 which is notched at' its edges at lit to receive guide members I21 (see Figure 5) which are fixed to the punchcarrier 96 and are provided at their formed in the male die inserts 99.

upper ends with inwardly extending portions I28 to limit upward movement of the stripper plate. The stripper plate I is formed with a plurality of passages I30, one for each of the punches 95, and, as is shown in Figure 3, each of the punches is formed with shoulders I9I and I32. A leaf spring I33 (see also Fig. 5) is fixed to the stripper plate by means of screws I39 and it is slotted to provide an individual finger or spring member I35 for each of the punches 95, each such finger bearing against the shoulder I3I of its punch and urging it upwardly. Upward movement of the punch is limited, however, by abutment of the other shoulder I 32 with a stop plate I36 fixed to the stripper plate by means of screws I61.

As also shown in Figure 3, the stripper plate I25 is seated on expansion springs I38 which are seated in recesses I 39 and I46 formed in the stripper plate I35 and in the punch carrier 96, respectively.

For the purpose of actuating the punches 95, a plurality of slide bars I95 are provided. As shown in Figure 2, there are sixteen slide bars bracketed and indicated as ".a, and eight slide bars bracketed and indicated as m. The slide bars Ia are automatically operated and the slide bars I 45112 are manually operated, in the manner and for the purpose explained hereinafter.

The slide bars I45a are slidably supported fol axial movement transversely of the machine by means of a slide support block I 46 and slide support bars or straps I41 which are fixed at their ends to the slide support block. The bars I41 extend underneath and are received in notches 158 formed in the slide bars Ia. At its left-hand end, as viewed in Figure 3, each slide bar I l5a is slidably received within a passage formed in an end guide block I56 and at its extreme left-hand end it is rounded as indicated at I5I. At its opposite or right-hand end, there is provided a torsion spring I52, one end of which is fixed to a rotatable shaft I 53 While the other end bears against the adjacent end of the slide bar. As shown in Fig. 2, one end of the shaft I59 is squared at I54 to receive a wrench for the purpose of rotating the shaft and adjusting the tension of the springs I52. When suitable adjustment has been made, the shaft I53 is clamped in adjusted position by means of a set screw I55.

It will be apparent that, if a given slide bar I450 is in its extreme right-hand position as shown in Figure 3, the bottom edge of the bar will abut the punches 95 and will hold them in operative positions. in its extreme left-hand position so that the upper end of its punches are received within the recesses I46 the spring members I35 acting on the shoulders I3I will urge the punches upwardly so as to clear the lower end of the passages I 55 The matrix dies being in their downmost position, the springs II of Fig. 6 will force the punch carrier down until shoulders I06 engage shoulders H3, thereby leaving space in which bars I45 may freely slide.

As stated, the sixteen slide bars designated in Figure 2 as 15a are automatically operable, while those designated as I45m are manually operable. For the purpose of automatically operating the automatic slide bars M5a there is provided a cam assembly I59. This assembly is shown in top plan view in Figure 2 and in end view in Figs. 3 and 4, and it is shown in detail and on a larger scale in Figures 11 to 14 inclusive. Referring However, if a slide bar is the holes I61.

more particularly to Figures 13 and 14, four camand-ratchet sets IBII are provided for operating the automatically shiftable slide bars M500. One cam-and-ratchet set is illustrated in exploded view in Figure 14;. As there shown, a ratchet I6I and cams I62a, I621), I620 and I62d are provided. The cams are formed with lobes I63 and the ratchet with teeth I64 and with a U-shaped recess I65. The ratchet and the cams are formed with axial holes I66 and with smaller holes I61 on opposite sides of the axial holes, the holes I91 being in alignment with one another. All of the ratchets I6I and cams I62a, I621), I620 and I62d are mounted on a bushing I68 which is rotatable on a shaft I 69 and the four cams and the ratchet of each set are fixed together so as to be relatively non-rotatable and so that the lobes I 63 of the different cams are in predetermined angular positions relatively to one another. This is achieved by means of pins I69a, passing through The heads of these pins are machined so that adjacent cam-and-ratchet sets are free to rotate relatively to one another.

The shaft I69 is carried by a U-shaped bracket I10 which is fixed to the frame of the machine. A pawl carrier I1I of generally U-shaped configuration is pinned at I12 to the shaft I69 and it carries a plurality of pawls I12a, I12b, I120 and H201 corresponding to and in registry with the ratchets I6 I there being one pawl for each ratchet. The pawls I12a, etc., are fixed at their upper end to one end of an arm I13, the other end of which is fixed to a shaft I14 which is rotatably mounted on the pawl carrier Ill and is urged in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 12, or toward the cams I62a etc. by means of a torsion spring I15. The pawl carrier IN is urged in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 12, by means of a tension spring I pinned at IilI to the pawl carrier and at I92 to the cam assembly support bracket I15. A latching pawl I83 is provided for each ratchet I61 and it is pivotally supported at I84 on the pawl assembly support bracket I15. Each latching pawl has a nose I85 engageable with the teeth of its ratchet IBI, and at the upper end of each pawl I85 an expansion spring I86 is provided to urge the pawl in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 11, each spring I86 bearing at one end against the upper end of its latch pawl I83 and being seated at its other end in a recess I81 formed in a bar I66 fixed to the cam assembly support bracket I19.

There is also provided an actuator lever I89 which is pinned at I99 to one end of the shaft I69. At its lower end the lever I89 carries a cam follower ISI. To operate the actuator lever I89 and hence the cam assembly, there is provided an upright post I92 which is fixed to the female die assembly and has formed thereon a cam surface I93 engageable with the cam follower I9I. (See Figs. 3 and 4.) As is also shown in Figure 4, there is provided a kick-out lever I94 fulcrumed at its upper end on a shaft I96 to the other end of which is fixed a lever or pawl I91 engageable with a notch I98 formed in the actuator lever I855. The kick-out lever I96 is operated by means of reciprocable shaft 260 pivotally connected thereto at 29I and it is urged in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 2 and 4 by a spring 292. The shaft 256 is operated in a manner and for a purpose explained hereinafter. V

The automatic portion of the notching assembly thus described operates as follows? As explained above, the crankshaft I'I causes reciprocation of the female die assembly 25. The male die assembly 3I, as a whole, remains stationary. The position of each of the automatic punches 95 is determined by the position of its slide bar I I5a. Thus, referring to Figure 3, if the slide bar I l5a for a given row of punches 95 is located so that its recesses I48 lie above the punches, the spring members I35 will urge those punches upwardly to seat their top portions in the recesses I08. It will be apparent that the lower ends of these actuated punches will then lie wholly within the guide blocks 99 and will be inactive. On the other hand, if as shown in Figure 3, a given slide bar MM is located so that its lowermost edge overlies the punches, then these punches will of necessity be urged downwardly against the force of the spring members I35 and their lower ends will protrude through the lower ends of the passages I95. These punches will, therefore, be in active position for cooperation with the female die 25. As the latter as cends, a notch will be punched in the web corresponding to each of the punches 95 which is held in active position by a slide bar l lfia. It will also be apparent that when the female die block 90 ascends it will compress both sets of expansion springs IIl (see Figure 6) and I38 (see Figure 3). As the die block 90 descends, thus releasing pressure on these springs, they will, of course, expand. The punch carrier 96 will, therefore, travel downwardly until its shoulder I06 limits on the shoulder H3 of guide block I08 and will carry the web with it. The springs I33 will spread the stripper plate I25 and the punch carrier 96 apart, thus effectively stripping the punches 95 from the web so that it is instantly free to travel forwardly.

The automatic slide bars I95a are operated by the cam assembly I59 which in turn is operated by reciprocation of the female die assembly 25. When the female die assembly 25 is in the down position, as shown in Fig. 4, the upper, vertical portion of cam surface I93 on post I92 is in contact with the cam follower I90 thus holding the actuator pawl I89 in the position shown against the tension of spring I80 (see Fig. 12). When the female die assembly ascends, the cam surface I93 rides up the follower I9I, thus allowing the actuator pawl I89 to rock clockwise under the urging of spring I80. One of the pawls I'IZa, I'IZb, etc. is in engagement with a tooth of its ratchet lIiI and therefore imparts an increment of movement to that ratchet. The cam assembly is, of course, recocked when the female die assembly descends again.

It will be seen that the pawls I'I2a, I'I2b, etc. are of different lengths. The longest pawl Il2a actuates that ratchet IISI and set of cams I62a, I921), etc., which is designated as thousands in Fig. 13. As long as this pawl remains in engagement with a tooth I64 of its ratchet IBI, the remaining pawls I721), I120, etc. will be held out of engagement with their ratchets. When, however, the pawl I'I2a has completed a full cycle and has dropped into the U-shaped recess I65 of its ratchet, the next longest or hundreds pawl 3122) will engage its ratchet IBI. A whole cycle for the cam assembly I59 as a whole is completed when each of the pawls II2a, I'I2b, etc. has in its turn completed its own cycle.

The lobes I93 on each set of cams IISI are so spaced as to actuate their slide bars M511 in the proper combinations and sequences, to punch out notches corresponding to 9, 8, 7., 6,

5y 4 3, "2 and 1 and to leave one card unnotched to denote "0. It will, therefore, be apparent that as the web II proceeds through the notching station C, it will be notched to number the cards from 9999 to 0000. Since there are five rows of cards and since each row is similarly notched, a complete cycle or run of the notching assembly will punch fifty thousand cards numbering them in sets of 9999 to 0000.

To achieve consecutive numbering of all fifty thousand cards produced in a run, the manually operable slide bars 35m are employed. The construction and operation of these bars will now be described.

Referring now to Figs. 6 to 10, it will be seen that the manual slide bars 195m are sectional in construction, the several sections being indicated as 299 and they are slida'bly connected by overlapping tongues 2H3. Each of the sections 299 is formed with a notch 2I I to receive the end of a lever 2 l2, there being five sets of levers for the five rows of cards across the web (see Fig. 2) and eight levers in each set which are arranged in side-by-side relationship as is best shown in Fig. 9. Each set of levers 2| 2 is encompassed by a frame 2I3 and the levers are mounted on a shaft 2M which is rotatable in the ends of the frame ZIS. The sections 209 are shifted by the operation of the levers EI? and each lever, after having been adjusted to the desired position, i. e., to the right or left, is clamped in the selected position by means of one of a pair of wedges 2I5 which are disposed on opposite sides of the lever. A slida'ble connection is provided between the wedges 2I5 and levers 2I2 by means of a dovetailed joint 2I6 (see Fig. 10) and each of the Wedges 2 I5 is formed with a hole 2 I 8 for engaging a tool which is employed for the purpose of manipulating the wedges.

It will be seen that each of the slide bar sections 209 is formed along its under surface with a recess I48a similar to the recesses I 28 of the automatic slide bars H3511, and that by shifting a lever 2I2 to the left as viewed in Figure 8, the recess 148a of the corresponding section 299 will receive the corresponding punch and will thereby inactivate that punch. By shifting the lever 2I2 to the right, the punch 95 is depressed and thereby activated.

In operation and assuming that it is desired to consecutively notch a run of fifty thousand cards, one of the sets of levers 2 I2 will be manipulated to activate the 4 punch, thereby punching out notches in one row of cards correspond ing to the number 4.; the next set of levers will be manipulated to activate the 2 and "1 punches, thereby punching out notches in the ad- Joining row of cards corresponding to the number 3. Similarly, the two adjoining sets of levers 232 will be adjusted to punch out notches in the corresponding rows of cards corresponding to 2 and 1. The last set of levers 2I2 will be adjusted to inactivate all the punches, thereby indicating 0 on the last row of cards.

It will thus be apparent that a full cycle of the cam assembly I59 and their slide bars 35a and punches 95 will produce fifty thousand cards which will be notched to number them consecutively from "4.9999 to 00000.

The web, after leaving the punch press I0, will of course pass through a suitable shear assembly for shearing the web longitudinally and transversely to sever individual cards 33 of precise dimensions. A suitable shearing assembly is that described and claimed in Orville V. Dutro, Lyle V. Dutro and James F. Nameth copending application entitled Press, Serial No. 180,832, filed August 22, 1950. It will also be understood, of course, that the punch press It] will be driven in timed relationship to the printing press and numbering and perforating assemblies employed to print, number and perforate the web supplied to the punch press It. It will also be apparent that a time delay or kick-out mechanism will be advantageously employed to interrupt the progression of the automatic punches M511 whenever the numbering assembly is stopped so that these automatic punches and the numbering assembly remain in time. A suitable kick-out mechanism is described and claimed in our copending application above referred to, entitled Press, Serial No, 180,832, filed August 22, 1950. A portion of this mechanism is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4 herein and will now be described briefly.

A shaft 220 is provided which is rotated by the aforesaid kick-out mechanism whenever the numbering assembly is inactivated, and in properly timed relationship thereto so as to interrupt progression of the punches l45a when the last cards having printed numbers 3! and 38 have been notched. The shaft 220 is connected by a lever 22! to the rod 200 as shown in Fig. 1 and operates the kickout lever [94. The shaft I96 and pawl I9! are engageable with the notch I98 in the actuator pawl I89. When the shaft 220 is rotated clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 1, it will be apparent that the pawl l9! will engage the notch I93 and hold the actuator lever I89 in the position shown in Fig. 4, thereby preventing further progression of the cams I62a, etc.

The shaft 220 is rotated by a numbering mechanism (not shown) which prints the numbers 3? and 38 on the cards as the web progresses through the machine. Since the cards are notched with a number corresponding code to the printed number, the notching mechanism must be kept in timed relation with the printing. Therefore, if the numbering stops at a particular card, the notching must also stop at the same card.

It will further be apparent that shuttle means are advantageously provided for the purpose of holding'the web 32 stationary during the punching operation. Any suitable shuttle means, preferably that described and claimed in our copending application entitled Shuttle Mechanism, Serial No. 180,831, filed August 22, 1950, may be employed for this purpose.

It will thus be apparent that a punch press is provided which is capable of accurately notching and/or slotting a halted web to selectively and serially notch and/or slot coded information into the Web. The punch press has a wide range of operation, and it includes an automatic portion which automatically and progressively number cards on a web and another portion which is controlled by manual means to increase the range of operation.

While we have shown the preferred form of our invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A punch press of the character described comprising a stationary male die assembly including a plurality of reciprocable punches, means yieldably urging the punches to inactive positions, slide means slidable to selectively urge the punches to active positions, a reciprocable female die assembly having die openings in registry with the punches, means for reciprocating the female die assembly to punch a web disposed between said assemblies, rotatable ratchet controlled cam means capable of unidirectional rotation to operate the slide means and thereby selectively operate the punches, and other cam means actuated by reciprocation of the female die assembly for rotating said rotatable cam means in increments.

2. Notching and coding apparatus of the character described for notching marginally perforated cards to code each card with an individual, identifying number, said apparatus comprising cooperable male and female die assemblies, said male die assembly including a plurality of reciprocable punches, means urging the punches to inactive positions and slide bars slidable to cause the punches to be urged to active positions; said female die assembly having die openings in registry with said punches and being reciprocable to advance and retract the die openings to and from the punches; cam means for selectively operating the slide bars in such sequence as to code the cards in consecutive numerical order; and cam operating means automatically operable to actuate said cam means in response to reciprocation of the female die assembly.

3. A punching machine of the character described for punching a web of paper, said machine comprising cooperable male and female die assemblies, said female die assembly being reciprocable and having a plurality of die openings, said male die assembly having a plurality of punches mounted in registry with said die openings and yieldably urged to inactive positions, a guide block for the punches and resilient means urging the guide block toward the female die assembly to strip the web of paper from the punches, a plurality of slide bars slidable to selectively activate the punches, rotatable cam means for actuating said slide bars, and cam means operable by reciprocation of said female die assembly for operating said rotatable cam means.

4. A punching machine of the character described for punching a web of paper, said machine comprising cooperable male and female die assemblies, said female die assembly being reciprocable and having a plurality of die openings, said male die assembly having a plurality of punches reciprocably mounted therein in registry with said die openings, yieldable means urging said punches to inactive positions, a guide block for the punches, resilient means urging the guide block toward the female die assembly to strip the web of paper from the punches, a plurality of slide bars slidable to selectively activate said punches, rotatable cam means for selectively operating said slide bars, and cam means operable by reciprocation of said female die assembly for selectively actuating said slide bars.

5. A punch press comprising cooperable male and female die assemblies, said female die assembly being formed with a plurality of die openings and being reciprocably mounted, said male die assembly including a plurality of reciprocable punches in registry with said die openings, said punches being operable to punch marginally perforated cards to slot or notch the same to code numbers therein, and cam actuated means for opcrating said punches to selectively activate and tie-activate the same to accomplish the numbering in sequence to code each card with an individual identifying number, said cam means including a plurality of reciprocable punch operating members and a cam for each punch memher, said cams being mounted on a common shaft, ratchet means permitting unidirectional, step vvise rotation of the cams, and means responsive to reciprocation'of the female die for imparting such stepwise movements to the cams.

' 65A punch press comprising cooperable male and female die assemblies, said female die assembly being formed with a plurality of die opening and being reciprocably mounted and said male die assembly being provided with reciprocable punches in registry With said die openings, said punches being so arranged as to punch slots ornotches in and from the perforations of marginally perforated cards of the type having fields corresponding to units, tens, etc., and to thereby code numbers within the range of said fields, and means for operating said punches comprising a set of cams for each field to be punched, each set of cams being operable to actaute the punches corresponding to a given field, and cam operating means operable by operation of the female die assembly-for actuating the punches in sequence to number cards sequentially.

7. Coding apparatus of the character described adapted to notch or slot cards having marginal perforations arranged in a plurality of fields corresponding to units, tens, etc., said apparatus comprising punch means'automatically operable to notch a plurality of fields from the perforations therein toward the adjacent card edge, means automatically operable to selectively activate and inactivate a portion of the punch means corresponding to several of the fields so as to notch and thereby number the cards in sequence throughout the range of said fields, and manually operable means for selectively activating and inactivating the remainder of the punches corresponding to a higher range of fields, said manually operable means including sectional overlapping slide bars overlying rows of punches and being individually settable in operative or inoperative positions.

8. Coding apparatus of the character described adapted to notch or slot cards having marginal perforations arranged in a plurality of fields corresponding to' units, tens, etc., said apparatus comprising punch means including a plurality of punches for punching a lower range of fields from the perforations therein toward the adjacent card edge, slide means for activating andinactivating said punches, cam means operable automatically in timed relationship to operation ofthe punch means to selectively activate andinactivate said slide means to punch and thereby number the cards in sequence'throughout said lower range of fields, other punches for punching a higher range of fields and manually operable means for selectively activating and inactivating said other punches to punch a higher range of fields and thereby extend the range of numbering, said manually operable means including sectional overlapping slide bars overlying rows of punches and being individually settable in operative or in' operative positionsj 9. A punch press of the character described, comprising a male die assembly including a plurality of reciprocable punches, means yieldably urging the punches to inactive positions, slide means slidable to selectively urge the punches to active positions, a reciprocable female die assembly having die openings in registry with the punches, means for reciprocating the female die assembly to punch a web disposed between said assemblies, rotatable ratchet-controlled cam means capable of unidirectional rotation to operate the slide means and thereby selectively operate the punches, and means operable by reciprocation of the female die assembly for incrementally rotating said rotatable cam means.

10. A punch press of the character described, comprising a male die assembly including a plurality of reciprocable punches, means for selectively activating the punches including a plurality of slidable elements movable to operative. positions to activate the punches or to inoperative positions to inactivate the punches, a reciprocable female die assembly having die openings in register with the punches, means for reciprocating the female die assembly to punch a web disposed between said assemblies, rotatable ratchet-controlled means capable of unidirectional rotation to operate the slidable elements and thereby selectively condition the punches for operation, and means operable by reciprocation of the female die for incrementally rotating said rotatatble cam means.

ORVILLE V. DUTRO. JAlVIES F. NAMETI-I.

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